Laser Cooling and Trapping of Calcium and Strontium

Abstract
Calcium and strontium atomic beams are cooled and trapped by using the 1S0-1P1 transition in the 400 nm region. The trapping of 8 isotopes, 40Ca, 42Ca, 43Ca, 44Ca, 84Sr, 86Sr, 87Sr and 88Sr, is observed. The decay rate of the trapped atom is found to be of the order of 10 ms and the average atomic velocity less than 1 m/s.